Skillet Breakfast Hash – A One Pot Wonder

A cast iron skillet.

My mom gave me this skillet, and I’m reluctant to post this recipe because I’m afraid she’ll ask for it back.

Mom, are you reading?

If so, you’re not getting it back!  Mr. Wonderful won’t let you have it after this morning’s breakfast!

Skillet Breakfast Hash.

Start by pouring 2 tablespoons of oil into a skillet.  If you have cast iron, I highly recommend it for this recipe…it just does something wonderful to the potatoes.

Turn your burner on high and get it really hot.  The key to these crispy potatoes is cutting them small and putting them in a smoking hot pan.  Don’t worry about peeling your potatoes.  There’s no need.

Unless you just truly hate crispy skinned potatoes.  In that case, I might ask you…

Why?!!

Okay, chop up 4-5 medium size russet potatoes into small cubes – and by small I mean 1/4 inch cubes.  Toss them into your skillet and don’t stir for about 2 minutes at all.  You want the bottoms of the cubes to brown nicely before turning them.

See the browness? That’s what you’re looking for.  Now stir them a bit and let them set again for another 2 minutes.  Then dump in one-half of a medium size onion, chopped fine.  Chop the onion pieces roughly about the same size as the potato chunks.  If at any point, you think you need more oil, add another tablespoon or two.

Stir these into the mix and let them cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Now, toss in one cup of chopped ham. I love the little pre-chopped packages at the grocery store, and always have some in the freezer.  But if you have leftover ham from Thanksgiving, this would be a wonderful way to use it up!  Again, make them small chunks.

Taking pictures with steam coming out of the pan is always a challenge.

Stir the ham in and mix everything up real well.  Allow the ham to brown up a bit, about another 2-3 minutes.

Then take a spoon and make 4 indentions into your hash, all the way to the bottom of the pan.  Make your indentions a couple inches in diameter.

Crack an egg into each hole you just made.

Sprinkle some salt and pepper over all and cover your pan with a lid, preferably a glass one so you can watch what’s going on.

The skillet is going to crisp up the bottom of the eggs, and the steam from the lid being on is going to cook the tops of the eggs.  Watch for the desired doneness you like in eggs.  It took ours about 4-5 minutes.

And just look at this.

Mr. Wonderful wandered into the kitchen at this point and his eyes lit up, and his smile got broad, and he kissed me and fell down on the tile and worshipped me.

Well, not really on the worship thing, but his eyes did light up.  I saw them.

We set the table and poured some apple cider and coffee and brought the skillet right to the table.

And it was a beautiful, beautiful thing.

A truly beautiful thing.

I’m thinking other things would be great in this also, maybe some chopped red or green pepper, or my favorite pepper of all time – the heavenly poblano.  What would you add?

Katie’s Printable Recipe – Skillet Breakfast Hash

Cooking with Love,

~Katie